[wp-hackers] distinguish plugin options?

[Mike Schinkel]

"Stephen Rider" <wp-hackers at striderweb.com> wrote:
> I'm trying to figure out if there's any way to distinguish, 
> in the wp_options table, core WordPress options from options 
> set by plugins. The only way I can think to do this is to 
> (shudder) maintain a list of WP Core options, and if a 
> particular option isn't on that list it must be from a 
> plugin.

Oh, this could be the beginning of a really good thing.

Imagine an addition to WordPress core that would communicate to WordPress.org the certain options are in use by plugins that elected to report. It would also be an option the user would have to turn on and then that option could report any previously unreported plugins options to the WordPress service. Most end users would never turn on that option but plugin developers would turn on the option to report so as to ensure their options are cataloged.  I'm glossing over lots of details because if others don't like this idea then it's a waste of time describing how but it could empower a real great automatically maintained option reference!

Developers could even include documentation for each in their 

   define_option('foobar', 'The FooBar option is used to...'); 

Or:

   document_option('foobar', 'The FooBar option is used to...');

Also the work I'm doing on web services could handle the heavily lifting of this idea (my web service work is tabled until early Feb after I finish my current paying project.) 

Thoughts?

-Mike Schinkel
http://mikeschinkel.com/